1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an armrest assembly for attachment to a chair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Existing furniture for typists, computer users, and others using their hands to work does not properly position the hands relative to the work, and does not properly support the arm in any given position. One function of the elbow is to position the hand in space. Thus, proper positioning of the elbow itself is essential to proper positioning of the hand. The elbow is typically supported by the armrest on a chair. However, the armrests on a typical office chair are completely useless to support the arms of someone working at a computer keyboard, for example. The armrests are too far back and too low because the chair must be designed to fit under a table or desk, and because the occupant must be able to get into and out of the chair easily without serious interference from the armrests. The armrests do not properly support the weight of the arms. Thus, the trapezius muscle and other muscles of the neck and shoulder must support the full weight of the arms for prolonged periods of time, leading to chronic shoulder and neck pain, upper back problems, etc.
It would be desirable to provide a chair, or an armrest assembly for attachment to a chair, which (i) properly supports the weight of the arm of a person sitting in the chair, (ii) at the correct location, which may be adjustable, and (iii) allows for full movement of the person's hand through the desired range of motion without losing the support of the armrest. Such an armrest assembly should preferably be easily attachable to many different chairs without substantial modification.